Shah asks BJP MPs to start campaigns on Gandhi's ideals for his 150th birth anniversary celebrations

BJP president Amit Shah laid out his party's extensive plans to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations in a video-conference address to its MPs and state organisational leaders. The MPs, including Union ministers, joined the conference from the capital of their respective state.

New Delhi:BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday laid out his party's extensive plans to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations in a video-conference address to its MPs and state organisational leaders.

Shah also separately addressed chief ministers of BJP-ruled states where he discussed economic issues and spoke at length about measures taken by the Modi government to boost the economy, which has seen a slump.

Speaking from the BJP headquarters here, Shah, according to sources, asserted that the measures, especially a major cut in the corporate tax rate, will give a big boost to the economy.

The Opposition has used the economic slowdown issue to target the Union government, and Shah's decision to speak to the chief ministers underscores the BJP's determination to counter the rivals as it gears up for assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana next month.

He was joined by BJP working president JP Nadda and other senior leaders during his address.

Shah, who is also Union Home Minister, asked party MPs to start campaigns in their constituencies to propagate Gandhi's ideals, including on cleanliness, khadi and environment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already asked the party MPs to undertake a 150 km 'padayatra' (foot march) between October 2, Gandhi's birth anniversary, and October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

Party leaders were asked to touch every village in the campaign.

The sources said that they were also told to clean statues of all icons "irrespective of the ideology they came from" during the exercise.

The MPs, including Union ministers, joined the conference from the capital of their respective state.